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CTA prez to board: Let’s not negotiate in the newspaper

Theo Harris, president of the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, chastised Superintendent Art Johnson for comments he made earlier this week in a Palm Beach Post story concerning school district finances and future teacher raises.

The district needs to cut $15.5 million from this year’s budget and tens of millions of dollars next year to balance the budget, and Johnson’s predicted teachers’ raises would be “little or nothing.”

“Let’s not negotiate in the newspaper,” Harris told Johnson and school board members Wednesday during his monthly address to the board. “Let’s negotiate at the table.”

Harris spoke at length — almost to the point of losing his breath — and warned that the district is in danger of losing experienced teachers. He also pointed out to school board members that teachers represent a fairly large chunk of voters.

“We need to keep them. Let’s do what we can to work with them,” Harris said. “As equally as strong as I push to work together to make a difference, I will equally push to make sure you do the right thing if we come to blows. I will do the same thing with the same vigor.”

The impassioned speech comes in the lead-up to a union election next month. Harris is being challenged by Western Pines middle school teacher Robert Dow for the group’s presidency.

Dow has criticized Harris for not being aggressive enough with district administrators and failing to be an advocate for the county’s teachers.